French Open: Daria Kasatkina beats Veronika Kudermetova to set up potential Iga Swiatek semi-final showdown
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ByEurosport
Updated 01/06/2022 at 13:41 GMT
Daria Kasatkina will contest a career-first Grand Slam semi-final after she beat Veronika Kudermetova 6-4 7-5(5) to make the last four of the French Open. The world No. 20 is yet to drop a set this year at Roland-Garros, and will face either Iga Swiatek or Jessica Pegula at the semi-final stage. Watch the French Open live on Eurosport and discovery+.
'She's as solid as a rock' - Corretja lauds Kasatkina as she reaches French Open semi-finals
Daria Kasatkina beat Veronika Kudermetova 6-4 7-5(5) to reach a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time in her career.
The former world No. 10 Kasatkina has yet to drop a set in Paris yet this year, and will face the winner of Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula at the semi-final stage.
The 25-year-old - now ranked 20th in the world - fought back from a break down to win the first set, and looked in pole position to make a career-first Grand Slam semi-final but - leading 4-3 - three consecutive breaks of serve, two for Kudermetova and one for Kasatkina, put the set back on serve at 5-5.
At which point, Kudermetova held to put herself one game from forcing a decider when she held serve. However, she would then call the trainer, and after that break Kasatkina seemed more settled, holding serve to send it to a tie-break that she dominated to race into a 5-1 lead.
She would eventually seal her progression on the fifth match point.
Speaking in her post-match on-court interview, Kasatkina said: "You could see that the match was really nervous and tight, especially the tie-break.
"The last few points were super tight but I’m happy in the end that I won.
"It’s a very important win for me and I’m happy to be in the semis for the first time.
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‘So good!’ – Kasatkina slams down ‘big winner’ to secure break
"To not stop my legs [during the medical timeout] was the most important [thing] because if I stop my legs I cannot play so I was trying to forget about the games I lost, especially the one on the return as I had a few break points.
"It’s tough, it’s so mental but I’m happy I was able to keep it.
"My box were pretty nervous I guess, especially at the end, but I’m happy that everyone is alive there as I love them so much and I want to spend a little bit more time with them.
"Thank you guys and keep calm, it's OK.”
It was Kudermetova who had made the early inroads on Court Philippe-Chatrier, breaking Kasatkina in the fourth game - just the third time the latter had been broken all tournament.
Kudermetova's advantage was short-lived however as Kasatkina responded immediately, earning two break points but needing only one to get back on level terms.
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‘She finds it’ - Kasatkina hits great passing shot against Kudermetova
Neither player was finding it particularly easy to emerge from their service games with plenty of long exchanges in the Paris sunshine testing both players' energy levels.
And it was Kasatkina who took advantage of that service uncertainty by breaking Kudermetova to go 5-4 ahead in the opener, sealing the game with a fine cross-court forehand winner.
But serving it out was no easy task, and Kudermetova won one of the rallies of the day to level the game up at deuce.
But a poor missed backhand drive volley gave Kasatkina set point, and she wrapped it up when Kudermetova blasted her serve return wide.
Kudermetova had been one set down in her fourth-round match against Madison Keys before coming through - could she do the same here?
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Daria Kasatkina celebrates a point against Veronika Kudermetova during the Women's Singles Quarter Final match on Day 11 at Roland Garros on June 01, 2022 in Paris, France.
Image credit: Getty Images
The portents were ominous at the start of the second though as Kasatkina broke in the first game, firing a fine backhand winner from downtown as Kudermetova once again failed to put away a short ball.
But just as in the first set, one break brought two, as Kudermetova hit back to bring herself level at 1-1.
All that work was for nothing though as the breaks kept coming, Kasatkina winning a gruelling game to re-establish her lead in the set.
Finally a service hold followed as Kasatkina took a 3-1 lead and a giant step towards her first-ever Grand Slam semi-final.
But the encounter was throwing up more twists and turns than a snake with an itch as Kasatkina faltered on serve when 4-3 ahead, handing a break to Kudermetova who gratefully snapped up her foothold back in the set.
The 25-year-old couldn't consolidate it though and Kasatkina broke immediately back to give herself the chance to serve for her place in the last four.
But, incredibly, it was to be a third break of serve in a row as Kudermetova showed all her resolve to bring it back to 5-5, and then two holds - interspersed with a medical timeout for Kudermetova - took it to a tie-break.
Who could land the telling punch with nerves so clearly taking their toll?
Kudermetova's foot ailment wasn't helping and she went 4-0 down in the tie-break as Kasatkina closed in on victory.
That lead became 5-1, and though Kasatkina passed up four ensuing match points, she finally got over the line on her fifth.
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‘There is the skill’ – Kasatkina produces ‘casual’ drop shot to save break point
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